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Is there any feedback from those who have sailed on Sun Princess about noise level for deck 6 balcony rooms that are underneath the unlabeled space between Crown Grill and OMalley's (Deck 7) I'm usually really careful about studying the deck map. I rushed to grab the last two adjacent balconies and forgot to look around. I'm now worried because my wife is a light sleeper and gets grumpy if her sleep is disturbed by noise.

Is there any feedback (about noise) from those who have sailed on the Sun Princess? We grabbed two remaining adjacent cove balcony rooms on deck 6. They are underneath the blank/unnamed space between Crown grill and O Malleys on deck 7. Presumably the kitchen?

Any tips for finding/watching for connecting rooms on Sun Princess? I'm interested in booking connecting rooms (ideally Balcony) on Sun Princess (late summer this year). I understand there are about ~100 connecting rooms. None are currently available for the dates we can travel. - The 75 day mark is coming up for the dates I'm interested in. I'm naively hoping there will be some cancellations. - I've been fruitlessly and painfully cross-referencing available rooms with the Princess deck plan (with connecting room option checked). - I've seen several examples where one half of a connecting room pair is taken. Question: Are there any tips/tricks/alerts for finding or monitoring for connecting room (or just new room availability)? Do some Travel Agencies have access to better tools or blocks of reserved room on the Sun Princess? Note: I realize this is a popular brand new ship and that we are booking really late in the game. This is a last minute idea that the family is excited about. Figure it wouldn't hurt to try. I wasn't sure where to post this question. Let me know if I should move it to another thread/forum.

Just got off Koningsdam last week. Was pleasantly surprised by the library and nice selection of new books to borrow.

Thanks for sharing information @kazu and @Florida_gal_50 . Can't wait to try the freshly prepared club orange meals myself!

Are all entrees freshly cooked in club orange or just the extra club orange entree?

Just called up Bering Sea Crab tour thanks to the information from @Glaciers. Really friendly agent. Adding information in case others interested. You can add on 1/2 pound of crab for $42. There is also 1 lb option. They release what they catch, so you wouldn't be eating what was caught on board. They have an agreement with Indian reservation and the crab is frozen. There is also a VIP option. $60. Includes the 1/2 pound crab + vip seating + some small souvenir. The HAL price is surprisingly the same price as the one I see online directly.

Hi All Was hoping to get some advice on which Crab related excursion to take in Ketchikan. HAL is offering both options for Ketchikan "Bering Sea Crab Fisherman" tour ($210/person) (327 five star ratings) "Crab Expedition Wildlife Cruise & King Crab Snack" for ($249.95/person). (Zero ratings) We have heard great things about the Bering Sea/Deadliest catch tour. The other cruise includes a half-pound portion of the "finest king crab". Any recommendations? Has anybody gone on the Crab Expedition Wildlife Cruise and King Crab Snack excursion? Thanks in advance More information about the second cruise below: Embark on a calm, scenic cruise through a passage to the waters of Annette Bay -- home to the Tsimshian Native Americans. The maritime predators of Alaska also live along this rocky shoreline -- seals swim about, and North American bald eagles dive-bomb the boat to catch fish. Watch as one of the crew demonstrates the oldest techniques of catching fish. Crabs, prawns, starfish, sea urchins and octopus are brought on board and placed in the live tank for you to view fresh from their natural habitat. Touch and learn about the vast sea life in this North Pacific ecosystem. As you head back to port, enjoy a half-pound portion of the finest king crab, served picnic style, and listen to the stories of people who spend their lives on Alaska waters.

Just changed rooms over to 6140-6146. Sounds like I had two great options to pick from. I decided to make it slightly easier for granddad to walk to central elevators. I also figure we couldn't go wrong being in similar location/few floors below the Neptune Suites 😃 Thanks again to all those who chimed in. I over-analyze everything and am super-appreciative how helpful everybody is with sharing their experiences. @Miss G and @3rdGenCunarder Love the pics. Makes me even more excited for the cruise.,

Thanks for all the additional feedback. I think I've narrowed my choice down to the following options. MID 6140-6146: (Found a new block of rooms.) Centrally located and convenient to aft and mid elevators. Is on the indent section and saw pics of the boats below. Not sure how much that actually matters? AFT 5160-5166: super convenient to aft elevators and key areas we will be going to everyday. Re-assuring that @Cruise Suzy and @oakridger have vouched for 5160. I like that it is on the outdent. Are there any practical benefits to a Veranda on the indent? (e.g. more sheltered from wind/weather)? What would you all pick between these two? Or am I splitting hairs at this point?

Thank you @Miss G and @3rdGenCunarder for your tips. Great practical point. I'll look for MID rooms instead (and eliminate 4 rooms needing to be next to each other) If there was availability on all decks, which ones would be most convenient?

We booked a Holland America Cruise this weekend. This will be our first Holland America cruise. (Koningsdam, Inside Passage Alaska, Late July 2023). (I was pointed to HAL from another line thanks to these forums) We decided to upgrade to Club Orange (once again thanks to learning from others on this forum) I'm now hoping to collect advice/tips on ideal veranda location (given our priorities below). I know similar questions have been posted before (I searched over and over) I'm wondering if the advice would change with Club Orange (incremental cost with V-VH, VQ cabin type is non-factor) + balcony size is not huge priority for us. In case relevant, we will be multi-generational (kids (10,11), adults (45-50), granddad) Valuable - Having 4 Verandas next to each other with 2 of them connecting. - Quiet location - Convenient/Easy access (to Club Orange, Lido Buffet, getting on/off ship, elevators) (One senior who walks slowly) - Nice view from balcony - Quick/Easy access to public viewing areas. Bonus - Larger balcony Not Important - access to paid spa services - access to bars What would you do? Current Location: - Beethoven (Deck 4) AFT 4176-4182. (Our current reservations. Has larger balcony) Alternate Options that are currently available: - Deck5 AFT: 5158-5192, 5203-5213 - Deck6 AFT: 6196-6208, 6199-6227. - Deck6 AFT MID 6177 + 6181-6187 (this location is closer to mid, but we would have to sacrifice 4 rooms being together. one room is split off from other three) - Deck7 and 8 - Not available - Deck10 FORWARD (Plenty of availability on both sides of the ship. Like the idea of getting a more expensive spa room. Not sure how big of a concern we should have about sea-sickness on Alaska/Inside Passage/July-Aug sailing) - Deck11 FORWARD (11014-11032) It sounds like HAL has already optimized for price/cabin desirability. Would it be foolish to simply use cabin pricing to help pick the best remaining location? Thanks in advance for your tips/suggestions.

Assuming availability, can OO (Single Oceanview) upgrade to any ocean view (C,D,E,F) with CO Or is that considered a different meta category?

In my case, we are trying to plan a surprise cruise to Alaska for our parents and siblings. We are paying for everybody. The $1 deposit allowed us to pick a date and book a bunch of contiguous balconies with minimal commitment/not knowing everybody’s availability. I’m intrigued with the future cruise credit suggestion and am going to look into that. Would it assume we already have FCC? This will be our first HAL cruise.

I'm not familiar with the HAL deposit (refundable/non-refundable) + cancel/change rules. As several noted, the HAL $1 deposit deals (this one and the previous $1 promotion 3 months ago) require you to pick the have-it-all package. (at least for the sailing I'm interested in). I'm not interested in the have-it-all package. We don't really drink alcohol or soda. I wanted to confirm that the following is allowable? 1) book room with the $1 deposit/have-it-all rate to reserve my preferred cabins 2) when our plans firm up, change the reservation (prior to first payment being due) to whatever advantage fares/promotions are available at that time. I understand the OBC would not carry over and the deposit would go up. I'm trying to book 5-7 rooms. It is nice not to have to worry about losing the deposit while we figure if the plans are going to work out.

Hello- I'm looking to book connecting balcony cabins on Celebrity Solstice (2 rooms, 1 adult/1kid per room) When I use the celebrity site, I can search/toggle for connecting balcony cabins. It assigns a specific pair of connecting cabins. (One of the assigned rooms sleeps more than 2) I'm looking to explore connecting room options in different locations. I see that there is plenty of availability with connecting rooms when I separately search with 2 or 4 people/room. I'm guessing the system is preventing two-people from booking rooms that can hold more. Is there a way to book connecting rooms (when one of the rooms holds more than 2) using online or third party sites? Or is the only option to call celebrity? (I strongly prefer booking online vs having to talk with somebody over the phone) I assume this has been asked before, but my searches didn't turn up anything (e.g. booking connecting cabins, booking 3 people rooms) Thanks

I’m new to HAL myself and just booked my first cruise. There are typically multiple fares available. The cheapest fare has a non-refundable deposit. You can ask for the advantage fair, which is between lowest and HIA. Deposit is refundable. I noticed you can’t book the advantage fair on HAL’s website. You can book by calling HAL. The price is also listed on some third party sites.

Thanks for sharing the pics. That really puts things in perspective. Those decks really are huge!

@oakridger Thanks. Will look into TA's. I think the trick is finding a good one! I used one for a Disney cruise and wish I didn't bother. I wish the community could refer trusted TA's on CC. I can see how that could be a big can of worms. @crystalspin Thanks for sharing that VH on Deck4 is a solid choice, I'll research the HaveItAll a bit more.

Thank you @oaktreerb I appreciate getting the quick and reassuring feedback from an experienced HAL cruiser. It sounds like there aren’t any red flags with the current room locations. Wonderful. Thanks also for the warning. I called into the 800 HAL number because I couldn’t book advantage fares online. Reservations are all linked and marked as do not upgrade. Based on another thread, I understand I can optionally move my reservation to an outside TA later and the agent who helped me still gets full credit. I may investigate that since it seems like some TA’s or big box store offer better rebates or on board credits. There happens to be a one day promotion for $1 deposit that is good for today only. (I’m not familiar enough with HAL to know how often these pop up.) Made it easy to pull the trigger. It did require me to change from Advantage to “have it all” fare. This buys me a little time to figure things out with a much smaller deposit. The group doesn’t really drink, so I will change it back to a different plan/rate once our plans firm up.

Hi CC-HAL Group! I recently posted a thread over on the Princess Board asking for advice on planning our first multi-generational Alaska cruise. Got a ton of useful advice. After initially deciding on a newer/larger Princess ship, several folks suggested I seriously consider HAL and the Koningsdam. I had never considered a Holland America cruise. After watching some videos/reading reviews, the Koningsdam immediately felt like a perfect fit. (Perfect itinerary on a smaller ship, great looking food, modern looking decor and amenities) I'm now hoping to get a second opinion from HAL experts on my cabin selection. Some Background: - We are five families/10 people/three generations. - I've booked 6 rooms (4 Obstructed Balcony VH that are next to each other + 2 Inside I) - I like to get good value for my money. - I'll be paying for all 6 rooms, so each "upgrade" quickly multiplies and adds up. - The grandparents have been on a couple of cruises and book inside for themselves. We are thinking their first balcony room (even though obstructed) will be a nice upgrade. Can get some air, still look outside. Balcony dividers will get opened up. 1) me, wife, two kids. Booked two connecting rooms: VH4120, VH4122. 4120 has the larger balcony 2) grandfather VH4144 3) grandfather/grandmother VH4146 4) sister I4121 5) brother and kid I4125 I think everybody will be happy to just be on the cruise. We don't need the absolute best/optimal room location. However, I want to make sure I avoid any duds. The ship was relatively empty, so I can still easily pick other rooms. Willing to spend a little more if we get a lot more value. Questions/advice. - Is this a decent general location/block of rooms? Want to make sure the rooms aren't noisy. I'm not positive how to read the maps to figure out what is noisy/not. We haven't sailed much, so I picked the middle for stability. - These rooms are port. Itinerary is inside passage round-trip out of Vancouver. Does port/starboard matter much. - I see conflicting reports. Does it really matter if the views are blocked by tenders (where my rooms are) vs life-boats? - Club Orange is available for this sailing for $25/pp/day. The ship was pretty empty this far out. Many other Veranda rooms are available (including some V and Spa). For example, a few days ago, VA8116,8118,8120, 8122 + I8100/8102 were available as an upgrade. Worth the Club Orange x 10 people for our scenario? Thanks in advance for any advice/tips. I just want to make sure everybody has a great time. Planning becomes extra stressful, because wrong choices get amplified!

The cabanas sound wonderful for a Caribbean sailing. I read how some folks preferred an inside room + cabana over a balcony. I'm planning a multi-generational trip for Alaska/late July/Koningsdam. Are the Koningsdam cabanas (sounds like no Lido cabins) worthwhile for this sailing? Are they too rainy/windy/cold to be enjoyable?

Thanks for the correction Coral. It is good to dis-spell misinformation if not accurate. As a cruising amateur, I couldn't tell what was temporary vs sign of showing age. I definitely have a very strong bias in favor of newer/well maintained/updated decor. If I were forced to pick, I would still pick newer/less ideal route vs older/better route. Luckily for me, enough voices (including yourself) chimed in on here to nudge me to find a better choice. With Konningham, it sounds like I get to have best of all worlds. The route would include (Vancouver Inside Passage, Tracy Arm Fjord/Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan) in a mid-sized ship with good food and modern decor!

New Update: I haven't booked yet, but have decided to switch to HAL Koningsdam Prior to this thread, I had never even considered HAL. I think my impression of HAL was based on some of the older ships. After reading reviews and watching recent videos of the Pinnacle class HAL ships, I'm really impressed. The Koningsdam does indeed seem to be a better fit what we need! Thanks for suggesting this and nudging me in this direction! @san diego spartan @shiner6 @Jammu2 Summarizing some of the factors that drew me to select Koningsdam. Important for Me: - We can still see Glacier Bay - Allows us to sail inside passage/east side of Vancouver and not waste sea days. Prior to this thread, I wasn't even aware of the Vancouver east/west distinction and how pretty the inside passage is! ( Thanks @muffin, @sunviking90 @JeffT237 @fishin' musician @Wishing on a star - Addresses the concern/warning that Majestic is too large + has insufficient viewing/seating areas. ( @Coral @mtnesterz @Casey12 - It is a plus for us being able to fly in/out of bigger Vancouver airport. I didn't really want to deal with cost/logistics of flying out of Alaska with so many people. - Quality of Non Specialty Dining is a priority. It sounds like HAL has a slight edge in food category over Princess. I was more drawn to try the food from the HAL food photos/videos. Saw some videos where the HAL chefs seem to take extra care in food prep. - Cabin Decor/General Ship Design-- This was actually probably more important to me than your average Alaska traveller. I'm really drawn to the decor/colors of newer ships like Discovery and Encore. I felt like Saphire was too dated for me. Majestic was ok, but nothing I was excited about. Even though the Koningsdam was launched in 2015/2016 (after Majestic), the decor choices still look fresh/modern/calming to me. - Cabin- I like the small touches (e.g. nicer closets that seem more like custom closets with doors that close/hide clutter, nicer sink, shower-door instead of curtain) The room amenities on Koningsdam videos seemed a notch nicer than Princess. Nice, but not critical - The main lido deck can close up with bad weather. - Cabin Balcony- Balcony isn't critical for us, but the Majestic balconies did look quite small. The HAL balconies in the obstructed balcony rooms look more spacious. There is room for a chair and footstool. NEUTRAL - Kids club: Both ships appear to have a high quality area for kids to play. We probably won't spend much time there. - Nighttime Entertainment isn't important for us. However, the music-walk seems interesting. CONS - Cost appears to be a tad higher - Since we like casual, I still have the (possibly incorrect) impression that HAL expects dressier than Princess. - Won't have the Asian Noodle Bar and Congee Bar. Thanks again for everybody sharing their wisdom! Really appreciate it. Your advice really helped change the the trajectory of the trip. I know we are going to have a much better trip because of all this feedback. I'm actually now super-excited for the trip and trying out Holland America.

I was able to find a version online and read the fine print. Looks like the EZAir 2023 promotion might be limited to a few May Alaska 2023 Sailings. https://milled.com/princess-cruises/now-is-the-time-to-book-alaska-for-2023-lVJBJbFYJlbcH7dR *Fares are per guest and apply to minimum lead-in categories on a space-available basis at time of booking on 5/6/23 7-day Inside Passage (Roundtrip Seattle) cruise on Royal Princess®, 5/13/23 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on Grand Princess®, 5/7/23 10-day Inside Passage (Roundtrip San Francisco) cruise on Ruby Princess®, 5/12/23 11-day Inside Passage (Roundtrip Vancouver) cruise on Crown Princess®, 5/6/23 12-night Denali Explorer (JA5) cruisetour on Grand Princess®, and 5/20/23 14-night Off The Beaten Path (NA7) cruisetour on Grand Princess®, are based on double occupancy and apply to the first two guests in a stateroom. Taxes, fees, and port expenses are an additional $250-$325. Fares and other values quoted in U.S. dollars except where noted. A refundable deposit is required for all stateroom guests and amount varies according to the cruise length, stateroom type and number of stateroom guests.